Monday, September 2, 2013

Sunrise and sunset are special liminal times calling forth awe and
mindful awakening to spiritual realities we otherwise might totally miss. It’s
no accident that the main traditional prayer times for Jews are sunrise and
sunset.

This
simple profound reality is especially moving me this year as I prepare for the
Teshuvah/Realignment/Renewal work of Elul before Rosh HaShanah. I’ve been
reflecting on a powerful liturgical adaptation by Rabbi Geela Rayzel Raphael of
the opening evening prayer Ma’ariv Aravim. She calls it “Evening the
Evenings”. It combines interpretive English with the traditional Hebrew. What
especially moves me is the chorus: “Evening the evenings; evening the frayed
edges of our lives; Ma’ariv Aravim…; amen.” The key for me is that “Ma’ariv
Aravim” refers both to “The One Who brings on the evening” and to the
Creator of the heavenly vaults of light and darkness (Aruv can a
heavenly vault or a containing boundary) which almost come together at the time
of sunrise and sunset (in Hebrew called “Bein HaArbayyim”/Between the
Heavenly Vaults of Light and Darkness).

When I
hear and experience “Evening the evenings” I experience the light of “Bein
HaArbayyim” touching the shadows and ragged edges first between the
heavenly vaults of day and night at sunset, and then touching all the shadowy
dark constricted frayed places of the world, including in my own self and my
entire bodyheartmindspirit. I actually tremble and shake in the original sense
of “haredim” (the tremblers), but it feels good because I know that the path to
teshuvah and renewal is in letting my frayed, shadowy dark place be evened out
by G!D’s light and love.

With
G!D’s help and our sincere efforts, may our Elul journeys be enlightening and
renewing.

Rabbi Jeff Foust is Jewish
Chaplain and member of the interfaith SpiritualLifeCenter
at BentleyUniversity. He does pastoral care and
counseling through the Jewish Chaplaincy Council, leads creative life cycle
events and services, tutors youth and adults, and has a special interest in
Kabbalah and embodied spirituality. He can be reached through his
website www.rabbijeffreyfoust.com
or email foust.jeff@gmail.com.

by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen I teach a class called Loss & Transformation: Connecting Sacred Texts to Family Stories to Help Deal with Lo...

Ma'yan Tikvah - A Wellspring of Hope

Ma'yan Tikvah is a congregation without walls in Wayland, MA, that holds services outdoors year round. It is a place of hope and trust for those seeking a meaningful connection to Judaism through study, prayer, experiences of nature, care of the environment, and social justice. Founded and guided by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen, Ma'yan Tikvah provides a place to explore Judaism in an informal and inclusive setting.